In a nice touch, the MacBook uses magnets instead of a physical latch to hold the lid closed. A small notch on the front edge affords just enough room for your finger, and the lid and case separate very nicely. Lifting the lid reveals a gray keyboard deck, which should hide dirt better than the iBook's pure white interior. The keys themselves are flat on top with rounded edges, and they are spaced farther apart than the MacBook Pro's and PowerBook's.

The bad: Nonnative software runs slowly on Mac OS; lacks media card reader and some other ports; higher-end configurations are much more expensive than similarly configured Windows laptops; only 90 days of toll-free tech support.

The bottom line: With the MacBook, Apple has corrected a handful of the iBook's shortcomings, hit a reasonable price point, and delivered a laptop that makes a great compromise between size and portability.

It’s the best value-priced notebook on the planet for me, because of its super cute size and stylish design, its friendly user interface (that offers only six easy-to-understand options: Internet, Work, Learn, Play, Settings, and Favorites), it’s very lightweight, and it’s so cheap.Asus Eee PC 701 Technical Specifications

A couple of years ago a middle weight business laptop would have cost you over a grand. Today less than 500 dollars will snag you an Athlon dual core powered Vostro 1000, sporting a 15.4 inch wide-screen display and some quality touches like a mylar sealed keyboard and magnesium alloy chassis. Laptopical's Todd Gold offers his opinion on this discount offering from Dell.

The bottom line: A total revamp of Dell's ubiquitous business laptop line, the Latitude E6400 offers Intel's latest Centrino 2 mobile platform and introduces a brushed-metal design that works at home or office, but the real highlight here is the long battery life.

One of the major complaints about ultraportables is the fact that their svelte frames are not packed with the performance of their desktop replacement cousins. Well Acer's Travelmate 6292 suffers no such weakness, it's loaded with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor, boasts 2GB of RAM and a more than ample 160GB hard drive.

Description: The Acer TravelMate 6292-6856 is a 4.6-pound, consumer level notebook computer.Compared to other general-purpose notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $1,025.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Pros: Has a plug-in module media bay, which is considerably more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.In fact, the typical cost of a product with this favorable a media bay is $1,465.Also, this notebook has only a 4.6-pound weight, which is somewhat lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this light a weight is $1,345.Has a modular media bay -- meaning its DVD? RW(? R DL) / DVD-RAM drive is removable, allowing you easily to swap it out for alternative or upgraded units.This is a Santa Rosa Centrino.

Cons: Has only a 12.1-inch screen size, which is considerably smaller than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Dell Studio 17, a -pound notebook at around $1, 055, has a 17.0 screen size.The Acer TravelMate 6292-6856 comes with simple word processing software if you often need access to special character sets you will likely need to upgrade to a full-fledged office suite.Integrated graphics controllers that rely on shared RAM are sometimes an acceptable trade-off for budget-minded users.

Suitability: A general-purpose notebook, suited for general mobile computing.Archive your digital videos using this notebook's DVD burner.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: Given its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of mainstream products with a similar screen size is quite a bit more -- right around $1,341.Generally, not targeted at the gaming crowd, this computer will likely fulfill more modest laptop needs.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this laptop's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, PDA or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.

Being a blogger, I still come to grips with the notion that things exist in this world that I might never attain: a Ferrari, a supermodel, the CEO position at a Fortune 500 corporation. Should I add the Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E?

Description: The Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E is an 8.4-pound, consumer level notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream consumer notebooks on the market, it is expensive at around $3,555.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Pros: Has a BD-RE removable disc drive, which is considerably more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.Also, this notebook has 1920 x 1200 native screen resolution, which is higher than some similarly priced notebooks.This is a Santa Rosa Centrino.

Cons: Has an 8.4-pound weight, which is somewhat heavier than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Sony VAIO BX540BWA, at around $3, 320, has only a 5.1-pound weight.Suitability: Suited for those who just need a basic notebook.Includes advanced word processing software -- capable of producing all the complex documents you may need to publish.Use the bundled video software to direct movies uploaded from a digital camcorder.Develop your digital darkroom savvy using the photo editing software bundled with this laptop.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: Overall, this notebook's price seems hard to justify, with respect to its features.

Suggestions:(1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this computer's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, handheld or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.

The tx2000 is a follow-up of the - surprise - tx1000 that came out last year. This one has been upgraded with some new technology, including an active digitizer from Wacom instead of the resistive digitizer used in the previous model.

The carbon-fiber TX series is Sony's thinnest and lightest laptop line, perhaps the most lightweight ultraportable on the market, but it still includes features such as instant-on technology, Bluetooth, and a double-layer DVD burner.

The good: Incredibly thin yet surprisingly sturdy; new trackpad gesture controls are very useful; remote optical drive makes living without a built-in drive much easier.

The bad: Very limited connectivity; slower than other MacBooks; SSD hard-drive option is ridiculously expensive and standard hard drive is small; battery is not user replaceable.

The bottom line: The design is revolutionary, but Apple's MacBook Air will appeal to a smaller, more specialized audience than the standard MacBook, thanks to a stripped-down set of connections and features.

The good: Borrows some of the best design features of the more expensive XPS line; built-in media remote control.

The bad: Bulkier than the 15-inch XPS model; just under the wire for new Centrino 2 chips.

The bottom line: Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.

The premium you pay is worth it: the ThinkPad T60 delivers a sturdy design, a complete range of network connectivity, top-shelf performance, long battery life, and just enough ports for the typical business user.

The bottom line: The Fujitsu LifeBook N6420 is one of the cheaper HD-DVD laptops out there, and it delivers a fine multimedia experience, but its weak battery life means you'll have to keep it anchored to a wall outlet to get through even a single movie.

The bottom line: It lacks some basic features you may require--touch pad, optical drive--but the 12.1-inch ThinkPad X200 offers strong performance and the longest battery life we've seen. With a variety of connectivity options and a roomy keyboard, the X200 makes a great ultraportable for road warriors.

The good: Borrows some of the best design features of the more expensive XPS line; built-in media remote control.

The bad: Bulkier than the 15-inch XPS model; just under the wire for new Centrino 2 chips.

The bottom line: Dell's first release from its new Studio line, the Studio 15, sits between the Inspiron and XPS lines and offers a good mix of features for the price, but we'd be tempted to save up a few extra dollars for a thinner, lighter XPS.

It’s one of the lightest and best-looking 16-inch notebooks, but its performance could be better.

The Samsung R610-64G hovers in a strange place between a traditional mainstream notebook and a full-fledged multimedia desktop replacement. A svelte 6 pounds (for its size), the R610 is the lightest 16-inch notebook we’ve tested, and with a street price of $999, it’s also one of the cheapest. Its classy black chassis is one of the most attractive we’ve seen in this form. But to achieve its low price, the R610 skimps on performance and features such as dedicated media controls, a full HD screen, and a Blu-ray drive option.

Sleek, Touch of Color Design

The R610’s attractive, understated look is classy enough for the boardroom, yet trendy enough for the dorm room. With the lid open, the thin chassis measures a mere 1.3 inches at its thickest point and 0.8 inches at its thinnest. This is significantly thinner than some other 16-inch systems, most notably the Acer Aspire 6930G, and just a hair larger than the Sony VAIO FW series.

Like other Samsung notebooks with the manufacturer’s signature Touch of Color design, the R610 has a glossy black exterior that’s accented by a dark red gradient stripe on its front lip. A tasteful array of green and blue status lights for the hard drive, power, and Wi-Fi shine through the gradient.